OHE February 27, 1998

Had some time to spare today so I headed out to the east end to hike Koko
Crater, one of my favorite venues. I started at the botanical gardens
a few minutes before one and hiked up the ewa side rim. High clouds
drifted overhead accompanined by a nice breeze.

While making the initial ascent, I kicked myself for not bringing any
cutting tools because some of that dry, thorny flora needed to be pruned a
bit to make the early portion of the trail more pleasant. Compared to a
typical Koolau trail, though, Koko Crater's rim is wide open.

Traversing the dike sections on the ewa side pumped up a bit of adrenaline
which is always a benefit for my aging internal engine. I recalled the
first time I tried the ewa rim and how I retreated after being confronted
with the proposition of having to scramble over a narrow boulder. I made
it past that obstacle and several others further on without incident
today. Experience, it seems, is a good teacher.

I reached Pu'u Mai in a bit under 40 minutes which surprised me since I
seem to recall taking much longer the first couple times I summitted from
the ewa side. Maybe the increased speed is a result of the vitamin pills
I've been taking daily the past month. I also was travelling with a
lightened pack today, which also may have helped.

Whatever the case, I spent 15 minutes atop the metal platform at the
summit, scoping out the nice views all about with my binocs and reading
the entries in the summit log. One person mentioned reading the OHE-L
webpage which made me smile. Several folks referred to the climb up the
crater as a religious experience and a couple noted how much better they
felt after reaching the top despite the exertion put forth. I penned a
new entry for today's visit, promising to return in a month with a new
tablet since the one in the bottle will be filled up soon.

After completing my summit rest break, I descended via the ocean-facing
rim. The offshore waters were uncharacteristically calm and I paused
several times during my downward trek to look for whales offshore and just
to enjoy the scenery spread before me. Great beauty.

About halfway down the seaward rim, I encountered a haole dude who was
deciding whether or not to continue to the summit. In typical HTMC
fashion, I advised him that the rest of the way "wasn't too bad" and
encouraged him to try for the top. The last time I sighted him, he hadn't
moved from the spot I had talked to him so I'm not sure if he continued
on.

I completed the loop in one piece, needing 1 hour, 45 minutes to complete
the circumnavigation. As I was leaving, a haole couple and their young
(12-ish) son arrived and were readying themselves to go hiking. I wished
them a pleasant outing and headed home to Kaneohe via Nalo country.

Koko Crater is an enjoyable hike that I look forward to trying on a
full-moon night.